Sharks Insight: How San Jose Missed Celebrini Defensively

Sheng Peng analyzes how the San Jose Sharks felt the absence of Macklin Celebrini on defense during their 5-0 loss to the Dallas Stars. Celebrini was a late scratch due to a lower-body injury and is currently considered day-to-day. Head coach Ryan Warsofsky lamented the Sharks' inability to win 50-50 puck battles as San Jose was outshot 11-2 in the opening period.

Peng notes that Celebrini led all NHL forwards last season with 175 turnovers forced and 134 puck battles won at 5-on-5. Without him, San Jose's forwards struggled to generate defensive stops that lead to offense. The writer points out that forwards like Alex Wennberg, Mason Marchment, and Will Smith will need to step up if Celebrini remains sidelined.